An obfuscator makes code harder to understand and hack by complicating it. It’s a security measure, but authorized users may need to overcome the added complications. Obfuscation works well with C++, C, and Perl, but other security strategies should also be employed.
An obfuscator is a process or device that aims to make a program harder to understand. Typically, the obfuscator approach is to take a relatively simple program and make the underlying code more complex. While the end user is unlikely to notice a difference in how the code executes, the obfuscator feature makes it more difficult to hack the code and hijack the program. From this point of view, the use of this type of tool can be seen as a security measure.
The name of the device or process is borrowed from the word “obfuscate,” which refers to the complication of a verbal presentation in an attempt to confuse or baffle. Likewise, the obfuscator tries to make the process of understanding the code somewhat perplexing. This essentially makes it more difficult to undermine the code, as the very meat of the code is so deeply buried or obfuscated that it is difficult to extract the essential parts of the code.
There are several program languages that tend to respond very well to the obfuscation process. C++ is among the most popular languages and allows you to use an obfuscator relatively easily without breaking the function of the base code. Similarly, C and Perl also tend to do well with the use of obfuscation, making it relatively easy to add an element of security to any programming written in these three languages.
While the purpose of an obfuscator is to intentionally make code harder to crack, there is also a need to make sure that people who are authorized to work with programming can do so without being hindered by the obfuscation process. To this end, various techniques can be used to overcome the added complications and arrive at the base code. This process is known as reverse engineering, as it essentially involves undoing the complications to see the real picture. Program slicing is an example of reverse engineering techniques used to deobfuscate a set of code.
While the obfuscator does provide some degree of protection, it’s important to realize that this process shouldn’t be the only means of security employed to protect programming. Other security strategies should also be employed to ensure that malicious entries are not received by the network and are allowed to work their way into existing code.
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